Arsenal v West Bromwich Albion; they don’t pass, they get few cards, they don’t win much at the Ems.

By Bulldog Drummond

What is it that marks out West Bromwich Albion from other clubs this season?

There are three factors that seem to make them special in the the Premier League. First the number of yellow cards. While Crystal Palace have picked up 15, West Ham 13 and Chelsea 12, WBA are lying 16th in that chart having suffered the indignity of seven yellows so far. Exactly the same number as… Arsenal. The club with the least league cards is Brighton with just four.

There are two other charts where they reach the top ten. They are fourth in the clean sheets league table with three and ninth in terms of the number of cross put in. In both cases they are higher up the league for those attributes than Arsenal.

Perhaps the biggest difference however between the two clubs playing style comes from a comparison in the number of crosses that each have put in so far. Here is the full Premier League chart for the season to date…

Position

Club

Passes to date

1.

Manchester City

4,023

2.

Tottenham Hotspur

3,490

3.

Liverpool

3,231

4.

Manchester United

3,164

5.

Southampton

3,059

6.

Arsenal

3,005

7.

Chelsea

2,984

8.

AFC Bournemouth

2,759

9.

Everton

2,632

10.

Huddersfield Town

2,469

11.

Swansea City

2,439

12.

West Ham United

2,319

13.

Crystal Palace

2,309

14.

Watford

2,196

15.

Brighton and Hove Albion

2,095

16.

Stoke City

2,087

17.

Leicester City

2,045

18.

Burnley

2,044

19.

Newcastle United

1,611

20.

West Bromwich Albion

1,535

This suggests a certain amount of hoofidity going on as a basic playing style. Arsenal have completed almost twice as many passes as West Brom – although we are already 1000 behind Manchester City.

If we look at the home and away table we can see that Arsenal are comfortably close to the top of the league with a game in hand. Scoring four goals against West Brom on Monday will equal Manchester City’s 11 home goals, but will give three successive home wins. (And yes of course I appreciate that the away record thus far is fairly awful, but I’m looking at home games because we are playing, well, basically, at home).

Pos

Team

Pld

W

D

L

F

A

GD

Pts

1

Manchester United

3

3

0

0

10

0

10

9

2

Manchester City

3

2

1

0

11

1

10

7

3

Liverpool

3

2

1

0

6

1

5

7

4

Arsenal

2

2

0

0

7

3

4

6

5

Newcastle United

3

2

0

1

5

3

2

6

If we look at West Brom’s position thus far away from home we find that they are solidly mid-table

Pos

Team

Pld

W

D

L

GF

GA

GD

Pts

1

Manchester City

3

3

0

0

10

1

9

9

2

Chelsea

3

3

0

0

8

2

6

9

3

Tottenham Hotspur

3

3

0

0

8

2

6

9

4

Watford

3

3

0

0

6

1

5

9

5

Manchester United

3

2

1

0

7

2

5

7

6

Swansea City

3

1

2

0

2

0

2

5

7

Burnley

3

1

2

0

5

4

1

5

8

Huddersfield Town

3

1

1

1

3

2

1

4

9

Southampton

2

1

1

0

1

0

1

4

10

Newcastle United

3

1

1

1

1

1

0

4

11

Liverpool

3

1

1

1

6

10

-4

4

12

West Bromwich Albion

2

1

0

1

2

3

-1

3

West Brom’s results so far however, since returning from Asia, have not been that encouraging. After a quality start with two wins, things have slipped by the wayside…

Date

Game

Res

Score

Competition

12 Aug 2017

WBA v AFC Bournemouth

W

1-0

Premier League

19 Aug 2017

Burnley v WBA

W

0-1

Premier League

22 Aug 2017

Accrington Stanley v WBA

W

1-3

League Cup

27 Aug 2017

WBAv Stoke City

D

1-1

Premier League

09 Sep 2017

Brighton and Hove v WBA

L

3-1

Premier League

16 Sep 2017

WBA v West Ham United

D

0-0

Premier League

19 Sep 2017

Walsall v WBA

L

3-1

Football League Trophy

20 Sep 2017

WBA v Manchester City

L

1-2

League Cup

Thus three straight wins, followed by two draws and three defeats with four goals in the last five games.

Although there is mass doom and gloom over Arsenal’s performance, the overall results of late are not as awful as some might suggest

Date

Game

Res

Score

Competition

06 Aug 2017

Arsenal v Chelsea

W

1-1 (4-1)

Community Shield

11 Aug 2017

Arsenal v Leicester City

W

4-3

Premier League

19 Aug 2017

Stoke City v Arsenal

L

1-0

Premier League

27 Aug 2017

Liverpool v Arsenal

L

4-0

Premier League

09 Sep 2017

Arsenal v Bournemouth

W

3-0

Premier League

14 Sep 2017

Arsenal v 1.FC Köln

W

3-1

Europa League

17 Sep 2017

Chelsea v Arsenal

D

0-0

Premier League

20 Sep 2017

Arsenal v Doncaster Rov

W

1-0

League Cup

Three wins and a draw in the last four. Of course one was against Doncaster, and another against Cologne, but to my mind the performance against Chelsea away suggested a new form of certainty has been entering the play.

Meanwhile the record of Pulis at Arsenal reads quite nicely across the last nine: no wins, no draws, nine defeats. The last time West Brom won at Arsenal was back in 2010. Here’s the chart.

Date

Game

Res

Score

Competition

25 Sep 2010

Arsenal v West Bromwich Albion

L

2-3

Premier League

19 Mar 2011

West Bromwich Albion v Arsenal

D

2-2

Premier League

05 Nov 2011

Arsenal v West Bromwich Albion

W

3-0

Premier League

13 May 2012

West Bromwich Albion v Arsenal

W

2-3

Premier League

08 Dec 2012

Arsenal v West Bromwich Albion

W

2-0

Premier League

06 Apr 2013

West Bromwich Albion v Arsenal

W

1-2

Premier League

25 Sep 2013

West Bromwich Albion v Arsenal

W

1-1

League Cup

06 Oct 2013

West Bromwich Albion v Arsenal

D

1-1

Premier League

4 May 2014

Arsenal v West Bromwich Albion

W

1-0

Premier League

29 Nov 2014

West Bromwich Albion v Arsenal

W

0-1

Premier League

24 May 2015

Arsenal v West Bromwich Albion

W

4-1

Premier League

21 Nov 2015

West Bromwich Albion v Arsenal

L

2-1

Premier League

21 Apr 2016

Arsenal v West Bromwich Albion

W

2-0

Premier League

26 Dec 2016

Arsenal v West Bromwich Albion

W

1-0

Premier League

18 Mar 2017

West Bromwich Albion v Arsenal

L

3-1

Premier League

More news about the game tomorrow. That makes something like 10 out of the last 13.

16 comments to Arsenal v West Bromwich Albion; they don’t pass, they get few cards, they don’t win much at the Ems.

Just heard Ian Wright on BBC radio talking to Brighton and Man City fans, who are complimenting him on his repeated criticisms of Arsenal and defending him against the adverse reactions of our supporters.

He is obviously loving it and he’s offering advice to our forthcoming opponents that the way to beat Arsenal is to “get in their faces” from the start. (as if West Brom need any advice of that nature).

What an absolutely disgraceful comment by a pundit and so-called Arsenal legend (definitely in the past)

‘Hoofidity ‘? Nice one that !
Thank god that there are no EPL stadia with fully covered roofs . Imagine the damage that would be inflicted !
Would the height of the passe be longer than their length ? Gord ?

Ian Wright suffers from ‘foot-in-mouth disease ‘, and it looks rather terminal!
His brain ( or whatever is left of it !) has gone pulpy and pliant. At the same time the rest of his body is getting bloated and idiomatous ….sorry shouldn’t that be oedematous ?

Or could it just be an oh, so obvious case of assmosis? -http://www.definition-of.com/assmosis-
Recent coinage for sycophancy or ass-kissing, the process of seeking or obtaining advancement by kissing up to the boss rather than by working hard.
Synonym – Analstomosis .

If ever the Arsenal should want to ‘reward’ him with a statue , a large blob of some pliant, form changeable and easily mouldable material will suffice . You know, to reflect his wishy-washy opinions and spineless stance !
Rubber prices are low now!

John L, Nitram, Mandy Dodd, Brickfields Gunners
what a load of bollocks.
John L posted how he interpreted the shows comments, did any of you others take the time to search out the show and listen to confirm?

If you did i think you would be ashamed at your comments and at John L’s interpretation, or is there something else festering deep inside you all?

This is the sort of lowly degeneration that has taken a hold on some of Untold commenters. There is an aura of sinister hate blowing here, and i even tend to think that you are not noticing the subtle programming carried out on your brains. Use them and think for yourselves.

Interpretation of comments is one thing, but Wright is currently irredeemable in my opinion. I met him once as a player, during the early nineties at the Hampshire hotel in which I worked. He was quite simply an arrogant, strutting imbecile who sneered his way through an entire weekend like his sh*t didn’t stink. Awful jackass. David Seaman was a very nice man.

Whether John L’s interpretation is accurate or not it changes not a jot how I feel about the odious little cretin. I detest the man.

Disloyalty and hypocrisy are 2 of the worst traits a person can have, and Wright has both in spades.

He sits at a table in the SKY studios worming his way up Wengers arse, and then in the next breath slags off everything about the man.

He, along with John Cross, because of there so called love of Arsenal, were 2 of the earliest media a***holes that led to me not buying papers.

Wrights hatred of Arsenal began a long long time ago, and along with that came his constant anti Arsenal rhetoric. Via his newspaper columns and radio slots he has repeatedly encouraged Arsenal players to leave the club, not least Henry.

He constantly criticises us yet dances around studios when we score as if he was a fan.

He HATES Wenger and with that wishes the team and the club nothing but ill.

Could you imagine an ex Liverpool legend ever encouraging Gerrard to leave Liverpool?

But to be honest it doesn’t surprise me one iota that you jump to his defence given the tone of your posts. I’ve no doubt you agree with every disparaging, disrespectful, hypocritical word he’s ever said.

The fact is Para, if you agreed with anything I said, then I’d be worried.

@ Para – I often switch channels when Ian Wright , and a few others come on TV. It is a show by the Premier League , and I have found the lot of them to be so bloody biased against AW and the Arsenal.
None of them are even remotely intelligent enough, in my humble opinion, to be commenting on subjects that they don’t fully understand nor have the information to make such assessment .
I am sure none of them have an inside tract to Arsenal’s vault .
They take great glee in running down MY club . Fuck them!
Just my entitled opinion of course.

I normally never ever watch the per, halftime and post show circus contorsionists . I mute the commentary as well.
There are a few shows that are produced by the Premier League and has the likes of Dion Dublin, Wright, Alan Curbishly , Petit, and some others and I cringe at their comments .
If someone finds the above to be prophets sprouting the gospel, well…good luck to you and helealluah !
I in turn chose not to listen to their prattle .
To each his own.
Up the Gunners !
Always !

@ Nitram – While I do hope that you get your season ticket wish, I think you will have to be patient for now.
Must be quite a surprise to many that Arsenal season tickets long waiting lists show no evidence of thinning!
Any way , when you do get it AW will still be our manager , and most of those whiners would have left or died of broken hearts !
Cheers !

Also, isn’t it strange how Para seems to of disappeared following his ‘it’s all bollocks’ comment. Maybe he’s still trawling his way through all the Wright articles that begin ‘Ian Wright criticises……’

Or maybe he’s compiling a list of them that begin ‘Ian Wright praises…..’.

Or maybe not.

He’s reappeared on some later threads so maybe I’ll ask him.

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